Members of the Ohio House will meet Tuesday to pick a new House Speaker, for the second time in a little over two years. They will consider how to replace current leader Larry Householder (R-Glenford), who’s facing a federal racketeering charge related to the nuclear bailout law he pushed.
State Reps. Bob Cupp (R-Lima), Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township), Craig Riedel (R-Defiance) and Tim Ginter (R-Salem) are all interested in taking the gavel. All of them are seeking re-election to the House in November.
The House's second in command, Speaker Pro Tempore Jim Butler (R-Oakwood), is term-limited and will not be back in the chamber next year. He tried to beat Cliff Rosenberger, who resigned during an FBI investigation in 2018, back in 2014.
A temporary speaker could set up a months-long battle like the one in which Householder ousted Ryan Smith last year.
In June 2018, it took 2.5 hours and 11 rounds of voting to elect a speaker to replace Rosenberger, who resigned two months earlier under an FBI investigation of his own. During that time, voting on legislation in the House was shut down.
It’ll be the same process this time. A candidate would need to win a simple majority, 50 votes from 99 members. The House can also hold a vote on whether Householder resigns or not.
